Oliver Rowland extended his points lead after Race 2 win in dramatic Formula E Tokyo EPrix ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and Daniel Ticktum.
Rowland launched well and led through the first couple of turns while Ticktum was forced into defensive manoeuvres under pressure from reigning champion Wehrlein. Barnard, da Costa and Hughes were among the first of the front runners to jump for their first of two mandatory four-wheel drive, 50kW ATTACK MODE boosts as of Lap 7, with the rest following – except leader Rowland – a lap later.
Ticktum made a move for the race lead into Turn 1 on Lap 8, making it stick in ATTACK. Barnard followed into Turn 15 after Rowland put the squeeze on the NEOM McLaren rookie – smart move from a fearless driver. Wehrlein was next to dispatch the Nissan for third, with Rowland shuffled into fourth and the reigning champion made use of his 50kW boost to take second from Barnard moments later.
A brief Full Course Yellow on Lap 12 came to an end a lap later after debris from Nyck de Vries’ Mahindra was cleared. Ticktum fired the field away with Wehrlein, Barnard, Rowland, Mortara, di Grassi, Nato, Bird, Vergne and Hughes the top 10. Wehrlein jumped Ticktum for the lead on Lap 17 out of Turn 15, while Rowland finally jumped for his first ATTACK MODE deployment – leaving him sixth as it stood.
Cassidy’s progress in ATTACK continued as he sliced by the Nissan for fifth at the start of Lap 18 – strong progress from 13th on the grid. Rowland would repay the favour half a lap later to claw that spot back – Nissan banking on a late six-minute ATTACK MODE activation to push the standings leader back up the pack.
Dennis was next to make that ATTACK MODE activation count – the Brit clambering up to fifth and past Rowland before sweeping around the outside of Mortara for fourth at Turn 1 on Lap 21 having started down in P14. Rowland and Cassidy took their final ATTACK at the start of Lap 22. He made ground up to second amid the lead group making their move for their second ATTACK MODE deployments, with Rowland having just under minute of his 50kW boost over and above the rest.
Nissan’s Rowland made that extra boost pay with a storming move around the outside with Wehrlein squeezing hard on the defence between Turns 15 and 16 – the home support thrilled with the Brit’s efforts. No sooner had Barnard fended off the advances of Mahindra’s Mortara, was he making a move on Ticktum for third – a stunning leap that caught the CUPRA KIRO driver out. Ticktum didn’t like that, though, and he stuck it past Barnard at the final turn of the same tour – Lap 29 – to take third back.
A grandstand finish was tempered with Mortara nudging Barnard into the wall at Turn 3, forcing a Safety Car. The Swiss didn’t much like Barnard’s earlier defence, it appears – and he was duly penalised by five seconds by Race Control. One lap was left by the time the Safety Car peeled back into the pits – Rowland pushed clear through Sector 1, with Ticktum hunting second-placed Wehrlein with more energy in-hand. The Nissan driver had done enough – another peerless win, number four of the year, in Nissan’s backyard.
Result: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1923994943892144186
Here’s how Race 1 in Formula E weekend in Tokyo panned out
[The story is as per press release]
